Helping an Aging Parent in Florida

A week-by-week plan: getting a care assessment, finding the key papers, who to call, and what Medicare and Medicaid each pay for.

What Florida law expects of an agent and a health care surrogate: keeping records, keeping money separate, and when gifts are allowed.

What signing as the "responsible party" means, what a facility can and can't ask of you, and how Medicaid estate recovery works in Florida.

Local help on the ground, bank and medical access from afar, and a checklist for making each visit count.

Family meetings, choosing who acts, mediation, and why guardianship is the last resort.

Personal care agreements, Medicaid's participant-directed option, VA programs, and taxes on caregiver pay.

How to talk with your parents about money and care: a printable checklist (links to /first-conversation)

Where does our family stand? A 10-question private quiz (links to /family-quiz)

The five documents every Florida adult should have (links to /resources#five-documents)

What to know before signing nursing home admission papers (links to /resources#nursing-home-admission)

Planning after a dementia diagnosis (links to /resources#dementia-planning)

Florida Medicaid myths, explained carefully (links to /resources#medicaid-myths)

VA Aid and Attendance for veterans and surviving spouses (links to /resources#va-aid-attendance)

What to do after a parent dies (links to /resources#after-a-death)

Florida Medicaid and long-term care planning overview (links to /medicaid-planning)

Planning for yourself or your spouse? See For Seniors & Couples. Helping a family in your work? See For Professionals.